Hope for the future
by fiction-net
Summary: Done for a challenge. slytherin's Entry


"Watch it, Granger," Draco spat as Hermione accidentally bumped shoulders with him in the hall. Hermione rolled her eyes and kept talking with her friends. "What, no apology, Mudblood?"  
  
Hermione glared at him. "If you weren't Head Boy-" she started, but was cut off.  
  
Draco laughed coldly. "If you weren't Head Girl, I'd be the happiest man on earth."  
  
"Oh, gee, Draco.. I never knew you were a man yet. When did that happen?" she asked innocently. By this time, the two had stopped to face each other, their friends behind them respectively.  
  
Draco pursed his lips and continued glaring. "Gee, I dunno, maybe when you because hiddiously ugly. Oh, wait, silly me, I forgot.. You've always been ugly, Mudblood." Hermione shot Draco a look of pure venom. "Oh, really? Well, look whose talking! I mean, really, Malfoy. Check a mirror sometime!" With that, Hermione stalked off, with Harry, Ron, Ginny, Lavender, and Parvarti in her wake. Draco laughed as Hermione stalked off with her friends. He knew he was good- looking, so he didn't pay much attention to her comment.  
  
Meanwhile, Hermione was in her room, crying silently into her pillow. She had never thought about her appearance before, except when her teeth had enlarged, and when she had gone to the Yule Ball in her fourth year. She just didn't care much about it. She just never cared much for what people thought about her. Why was this different?  
  
Because he said it in front of my friends, she reasoned with herself. But she couldn't help but think it was because she was starting to care about her looks. She had lost weight over the summer, but brushed it off as stress. They had had a hectic year last year, what with Voldemort out in the open now.  
  
She heard a knock on her door and, wiping her tears away, went to answer it. When she opened the door, who did she see but the one and only Draco Malfoy! He was leaning against the wall, glaring at her, with his arms folded across his broad chest. Hermione groaned, then glared at him. "What do you want?" she asked him angrily. Draco sniggered. "Tsk, tsk. Attitude, Mudblood! I wouldn`t have come, and I really didn`t want to, trust me. But of course, McGonagall asked me to get you... The stupid meeting after all. Well, I`ve told you, now, whether you go or not is your problem." He briskly walked off, his black robes billowing out behind him. Hermione gasped. She had completely forgotten about the meeting! How long had I been crying? she asked herself. She ran back into her room and changed quickly back into her robes, then ran straight to the meeting. "Sorry i'm late," Hermione muttered as she dashed in the room.  
  
"That's okay, Miss Granger," Professor McGonagall said, eyeing Hermione's red eyes curiously. "But try and be prompt next time. As Head Girl, you should set a good example for the rest of us."  
  
"Yes, Professor," Hermione mumbled.  
  
"Mudblood," Draco mouthed at her.  
  
"Asshole," Hermione mouthed back, shooting him a deadly glare. She turned to Professor McGonagall and smiled sweetly at her. "So is there any new business for this meeting?"  
  
"Actually, there is," Professor McGonagall replied, looking down at a stack of papers she was holding. "And it's very important." "First of all, I have your prefect schedules, everyone. You will be expected to always be doing your job. If not, you will lose your badge, and a new Prefect will be elected in your place. Furthermore, I must stress that each and every one of you realizes that the Dark Lord is very powerful. Practice your charms, and don't go anywhere alone." McGonagall continued with her speech, while also passing out individual prefect schedules.  
  
Afterwards, Hermione and Draco left the meeting to go to their own rooms. Unfortunately, they shared a Common Room, because they needed to 'be a symbol of House unity'. So the two Heads walked next to each other the whole way to their common room, the tension and hatred towards each other almost palpable. Hermione slipped into her own room and slammed the door behind her, fuming with anger. She couldn't believe it. A whole year with a common room with Malfoy? It was going to be pure torture. It just wasn't fair. He was so ridiculous.  
  
Stop it, she told herself. You've got to get control of yourself. You can't let his random insults get you down. Ignore him.  
  
But another voice in her head replied... what if they aren't that random?  
  
"I'm not ugly," she said aloud, staring at herself critically in the mirror. But she wasn't sure. If she really was pretty... guys would ask her out... they would like her as more than a friend...  
  
Her forehead was so big... her eyebrows too thick... her hair too frizzy. Her eyes were still red and swollen from earlier. And she had lost so much weight over the summer, she knew she looked a bit drawn and pale.  
  
"I look like shit," she muttered, turning away from the mirror as a solitary tear rolled down her cheek.  
  
*  
  
She shivered as she looked through her list of duties McGonagall had given her. It was unusually cold in her room, and she didn't have a fire in her own room. She didn't even have a blanket... her Gryffindor afghan was draped across the couch in their common room... in front of the fire... the fire would be so warm...  
  
She stepped toward the common room but hesitated when she heard Draco's voice. Damn. Why did he have to be in there? Deciding being cold and alone was much preferable to warm, cozy, and constantly insulted, she turned to her trunk to find some more clothes when she heard his voice again clearer...  
  
"What the fuck are you doing?! Get away from me, let me go! Where are you taking me!?" he snarled, his voice desperate and defiant.  
  
Hermione turned back towards their common room, her eyes narrowing.  
  
What the hell was going on? "Your father has requested that you be initiated.. earlier than usual. I will not turn down this request, as he has never asked for anything before. And, as a loyal follower, I will grant him this one. You should be grateful that you will get a private initiation. Now come. Your father would be disappointed if you don't."  
  
Hermione gasped as she overheard what was being said. Voldemort. Voldemort was in Hogwarts. Where's Dumbledore?! she thought, and she frantically searched her brain for something to help Malfoy. Sure, she didn't like the guy, but if he was fighting Voldemort..  
  
"No! I don't care about the stupid initiation, I don't care about my father, and I don't care about you! Get out of my common room and leave me the fuck alone!!" With that, Draco pulled himself free of Voldemort and pulled out his wand. "Avada--"  
  
Simultaneously, the door to Hermione's room opened, and Voldemort lunged at Draco. Hermione ran out of her room, pointed her wand at Voldemort, and said, loud and clear, "Avada Kedavra!"  
  
Of course, as Hermione wasn't skilled in Dark magic, as Lord Voldemort was, the Killing Curse didn't affect Voldemort very much. But it delayed him long enough for Hermione and Draco to run out of their Common Room and straight to Dumbledore's office. Hermione and Draco gasped as they ran for their lives up to Dumbledore`s office. "C-Cockroaching Whizbees!" Hermione gasped out. The stone gargoyle slid aside, and Hermione, with Draco behind her, rushed up the stairs. When they were safely inside Dumbledore`s office, Hermione fell to her knees in exhaustion. "P-Professor, V-Voldemort. He`s in Hogwarts!" she explained, right before she passed out. When Hermione came to, she was lieing on a purple, overstuffed couch. She opened her eyes and looked up at Dumbledore and Malfoy. She noticed Dumbledore's sad expression, and Malfoy's murderous one. Then it all came back to her. Voldemort. "Professor? What.. what are we going to do? We can't leave Hogwarts.. But we aren't safe here anymore."  
  
"Yes, yes, I know.. I've been thinking that also. Draco has told me what happened, and I believe the best thing to do would be to use the Fidelius Charm and keep you two hidden somewhere. You will both have to decide on one person you would trust with a secret like this one. He or she will give you homework and teach you everything you'll be missing in school. You will be given a new place to stay until Voldemort has been defeated. Now, I want you two to discuss who you think would be best for the job, and then you will have to ask them to perform the Fidelius Charm."  
  
Hermione got up off of the couch and said good-bye to Dumbledore, as did Draco. The two walked back to their common room in silence, and sat in chairs opposite each other. "So.. Who would you suggest be our Secret Keeper?" Hermione asked Draco.  
  
"Severus," came Draco's quick reply.  
  
"Snape?! But.. He hates me!"  
  
"You wonder why?" sneered Draco.  
  
Hermione glared at him. "If we can't at least pretend to get along, we'll both be killed. We need to agree on one person, and I disagree with your decision."  
  
"Severus would eb the perfect choice. He can teach us anything, he's always been able to keep my secrets, and he will never go back to the Dark side. He knows what we're dealing with, and he can protect us." He glared at Hermione. "And he doesn't hate you. You just don't understand him like I do." Hermione sighed, holding her hands up in defeat. They still ached a bit from her little "nap" on the stone cold floor of Dumbledore`s office. "Fine, Malfoy. You win. But if he betrays us, and we get killed, keep in mind when you reach your grave that it would be your fault!" Hermione exclaimed.  
  
Draco snickered. "Really, Mudblood, you`re being a bit, no, really, dense. I`ve told you already. Professor Snape will not betray us. If anything, he would rather have all of the Unforgivable Curses placed upon him rather than tell Voldemort are whereabouts. Now, come on, could you walk any slower!" Malfoy shot back. Hermione smirked at him, then, just to annoy him, slowly dragged her feet along the corridor. "Yes, would you like me to go even slower?" she asked, batting her eyelashes at him.  
  
Draco scowled at her, then grabbed her wrist and part of her forearm, and began to drag her along behind him. When the two reached Snape`s dungeons, Draco released his grasp on Hermione, and Hermione rubbed her arm, scowling at Draco. "Geez, Draco, do you always do that to people?" she asked him angrily. Draco snicked.  
  
"No, only to annoying mudbloods like you."  
  
"If we`re going to be stuck in the same room for hell knows how long, could you at least stop calling me that?"  
  
"And why should I?"  
  
"Because if you don`t, I might lose my control, and kill myself."  
  
"Oh, I so wish you would."  
  
"Ugh! Forget it!"  
  
Just then, Snape opened his office door. "You know, there are some people who want to sleep tonight!" he growled. Draco cleared his throat. "Sir, we need you to place the Fidelius charm on us." "I can't believe i have to spend all my time isolated with you," Hermione sighed when they got back into their common room, wrapping herself up in her Gryffindor afghan. "I mean, why couldn't I have been stuck with someone at least HOT, instead of a rude, ignorant-"  
  
"Excuse me, i believe the vast majority of the female population of Hogwarts finds me very attractive," Draco sneered, his eyes narrowing.  
  
"Conceited, arrogant-"  
  
"Maybe your taste in guys is just, too, amateur," Draco smirked. "I mean, Potter's mental, and Ron's dirtpoor, and we all know Krum's gay-"  
  
"Impossible, BASTARD!" Hermione screamed, running into her room and slamming the door.  
  
She couldn't believe this. A day ago she had been looking forward to a year hanging out with Ron and Harry, of intense studying with her favorite teachers, of Quidditch games and Hogsmeade visits. Now all she had to look forward to was time alone with Malfoy, and lessons with Snape... the Fidelius charm was to be done tomorrow morning...  
  
How had this all happened? Draco smirked as he watched her leave. She thought she could get him to think he wasn't hot? Sure, he had done the same to her, but at least he had self-esteem, and girls chasing after him. If she had been like Blaise, she wouldn't have taken the comment to heart. He could tell that the comment had affected her earlier. She had been crying in her room.  
  
Now what? he asked himself. He had alredy convinced her that she wasn't pretty.. Maybe I could get her to admit that she thinks I'm hot.. Shouldn't be too hard, we'll be together all the time now. He chuckled aloud and went to his room to sleep. He'd continue planning tomorrow. Draco threw himself on to one of the Slytherin green and silver couches in his room. Of all people, it had to be Hermione Granger, know-it-all mudblood, and unfortunately, also the Head Girl and top witch of their class.  
  
Scowling, he got up and fell back onto the bed, pulling the covers over his head. The next morning, Hermione woke up early and prepared herself for classes. She had justed finished her shower, and was walking back to her room in her robe when Draco came out of his own room, his hair ruffled and a shirt slung over his bare shoulder. He flashed a grin and said in a false cheerful tone as he proceeded to the bathroom, "You ready to be stuck together for months on end?"  
  
Hermione groaned. That's right.. She had forgotten about the whole Fidelius thing.. She sighed and went back into her room to change.  
  
A half an hour later, they were both ready to go do the Fidelius charm. They left their common room together and headed straight for Snape's dungeons. They first had to decide on a place to stay. "What about the Room of Requirement?" she suggested. "It's secret enough, and if we place an extra charm on it, even people who know about it won't be able to find us." They agreed, and proceeded with the Charm. When they reached the Room of Requirement, they found that it was set so that it looked like any regular classroom. On the front board, written in plain white chalk, was:  
  
Potions Lesson  
  
Today you will be making a mix of the Amorei love potion and the regular Amoreia potion. When mixed together, the two make the main ingredient and main step of sealing the Fidelius, the Silencing Potion, or more commonly known as just the 'Sealing' potion. The steps to making the potions are on the backboard.  
  
Sighing, Hermione took a seat across the room from Draco, wanting to avoid him as much as possible. She knew very well that if she was too close to him, she would most likely lose her temper. She also knew that this was an exclusive potions lesson; fat chance that anyone else would be making the Sealing potion.  
  
***  
  
Draco watched her every move; he watched as she gathered her books and her school bag; he watched as she moved towards the farthest seat away from him; and he watched as she quickly unpacked everything and set to work. He cleared his throat. "Wonder where Professor Snape is..." he said, simply to make conversation.  
  
"Probably off torturing some innocent non-Slytherin students," was Hermione`s emotionless reply.  
  
"Mu--Granger, could you at least try not to be so like myself when replying? It is disturbing, and remember, you`re the one who suggested we act civil towards each other in the first place."  
  
"Just shut up and make your potion, Malfoy."  
  
"Make me."  
  
There was no answer. Draco smirked. He was getting to her, and they both knew it.  
  
Finally, with a sigh, Hermione replied, "Forget it."  
  
"Fine then, I will."  
  
For the next few hours, the two worked in silence. Finally, after another half hour, Snape stepped into the room. "I trust that you have both finished your potions?" he asked them, scowling when he turned to Hermione. "Oh, never mind, of course you have, after all, Miss Granger the know-it- all is here." Hermione flinched, but kept her mouth shut. Draco cleared his throat again. "Professor, I thought the spell was sealed already?" Snape smiled a crooked smile at Draco. "Yes, it is. But the Sealing potion is an extra pre-caution." Draco simply nodded, and continued working on the finishing touches. Hermione had finished her potion, so she quietly filled a large flask of it, then brought it up to the wooden desk up front.  
  
"Professor, if I may be excused, I need to pee," Hermione said. It was more of a statement rather than a question.  
  
Draco`s mouth twitched. "Granger, was it absolutely nessacary for you to share that with us?" "Shut up, Malfoy." Snape smiled, but said, "Draco... Try and be nice, and Miss Granger, five points from Gryffindor for talking rudely to a fellow student. Yes, you may be excused, but make it quick." Hermione scowled at him and Draco before quickly rushing out of the room, her eyes brimming with fresh tears. After a fresh sob-session, Hermione returned to the Room of Requirement, still wiping her eyes on the sleeve of her robe. But just as she reached the last corridor before the Room of Requirement, she screamed; there, in the hallway, was Lord Voldemort himself. He knew she was there. She was sure he could sense her; that he could smell her. She held her breath, and flattened herself against the wall, willing for him to go away.  
  
At last, after what felt like a year, he floated away. As soon as she was sure he was gone, she exhaled, and gasped for air. Then, running for her life much like the night before, she ran back to the Room of Requirement. When she opened the door, Snape and Draco were both staring at her with an amused expression. "Five points from Gryffindor for taking longer than the limit of 45 minutes," Snape spat out, scowling.  
  
Hermione scowled back, then said, still slightly panting, "I saw him--I saw V-Voldemort. In the hallway. H-He could s-sense me. Somehow," she gasped out, her heart pounding wildly. She grasped the edge of the teacher`s desk, mainly to keep herself from keeling over. Next to becoming wildly, almost impossibly thin over the summer, she had also become prone to exhaustion and fainting spells.  
  
Snape`s scowl disappeared, only to be replaced by a icy frown. "You two stay here...," he said, walking slowly over to the door, taking out his wand.  
  
As soon as he walked out the door, Hermione fell to the floor in exhaustion. "I`m useless these days! I can`t even handle a bit of running!" she sobbed softly, then, wiping her tears away roughly, she forced herself off the floor, and staggared over to her seat. She sank down into the chair, still swaying slightly.  
  
All this time, Draco was watching her. He went back to his work, smirking. I always knew Granger was a weakling, he thought to himself. Can`t even handle a bit of-- But a loud thud from behind him interrupted his thoughts. He turned around to find Hermione sprawled across the floor, unconcious. "Oh shit," Draco muttered aloud. As much as Granger was an annoyong mudblood, she didn't much want him to die on him... being alone with her was slightly preferred to being completely isolated. And she's cute when she's mad. "No, she's not, she's just a mudblood," Draco said out loud.  
  
He kneeled down over Hermione and looked at her critically. He hadn't noticed how thin she had gotten over the summer; the stress must really have gotten to her. Yeah right. Like she knows what stress is. But Draco couldn't help himself from looking at her with concern. He gently brushed a curl from her face, looking at the closed door.  
  
"What the fuck are you doing?" Hermione shrieked, staring up at Draco with a mixture of shock and horror. "Malfoy! Get the hell off of me!"  
  
"I'm not on-" Draco looked down where his hand was on her face, he was straddling her, his face only inches from his... she is cute when she's mad... "Shut up," Draco muttered. "I mean- i'm not on you- i mean- i'm on you- because i don't want you to die," Draco finished lamely.  
  
"Well get the fuck off of me!" Hermione cried, pushing him up weakly. "Or you'll be the one dying-"  
  
"Oh, you wanna play that game," Draco hissed, "I think i'm gonna win." He flipped her back down expertly and held her wrists to the floor, leaning in until they were only inches away from each other. "Scared yet, Granger?"  
  
"You- bastard," she breathed. Draco smirked at her; she caught him off guard and kicked him hard, rolling over and landing on top of him, punching his chest as he grabbed for her arms; their cheeks brushed; Draco's silky hair whipped Hermione in the face as she tried to gain control by getting her knee over his side-  
  
"Excuse me, what is going on here?" Hermione quickly stood up, and straightened her robes. "Nothing, sir. I passed out, then Malfoy tried to save me, then I thought he was a monster, so I guess I was trying to kill him," she said, batting her eyelashes up at the angry Professor Snape.  
  
Professor Snape scowled at her before turning to Draco. "Are you alright?" he asked cautiously, helping him to his feet. Draco only nodded. DAMN Snape! Why did he have to interrupt just when things were getting good?!, he thought, silently cursing the head of Slytherin. "Perfectly fine, sir." Snape obviously didn`t believe him, but kept quiet. "Alright, I`m going to check the hallways, and I`ll have to talk to Dumbledore... You two behave."  
  
As soon as he was out of the room, Hermione knocked Draco to the floor, and continued plumelling his chest wildly. When she stopped for a breath, Draco lay sprawled beneath her, panting and gasping for breath. "God, Granger. For a stupid mudblood, you sure have a strong left and right hook!" he gasped out. Hermione continued to punch him. "Never--Ever--Call--Me--A-- MUDBLOOD!" she exclaimed, enunciating each word with a plumell to his chest.  
  
But just as she was about to continue, Draco grabbed ahold of her wrists, and they did a sort of roll on the floor so that Draco was once again on top. He straddled her. "Granger, do you have no compassion, no sympathy?" he asked sarcastically. Hermione writhed beneath him, tugging at his hold on her wrists. "Get off of me!" she screamed, still attempting to free her wrists. Draco clucked his tongue. "Tsk Tsk, Granger. Be a good girl, now!" he said, earning a shiver from Hermione. "Granger, you`re beautiful. Did you know that?" Hermione looked up at Draco in shock, then decided to "play along". "You`re not that bad looking either," she replied breezily, winking up at him. He smirked down at her, then ducked his head and kissed her gently. The Fidelius charm was indeed just that--a charm. Hermione gasped as Malfoy started to kiss her. She pushed Draco away and jumped up. "What the bloody hell was that, Malfoy?!" she asked angrily, her heart beating more rapidly than usual.  
  
"It's called a kiss, Herm-Granger," Draco replied calmly. However, as calm as he appeared on the outside, he was the exact opposite on the inside. I just kissed a mudblood! What just happened?! How was he going to explain this?  
  
"Sod off, Malfoy!" she yelled, before storming off through the door to their new common room. She looked around the common room and realized that it was exactly the same as the Head common room, only the exit was the door to their private classroom. She ran up the steps on her right and into her room, before collapsing on her bed. Hermione started to cry as she lay on her bed, her tears blurring the ceiling. Would things keep getting stranger and stranger for her? I mean, next thing you know she would be going out with Malfoy! He had already kissed her, and she had enjoyed it- I did NOT enjoy it, Hermione told herself firmly. I was only tingling like that- because my blood sugar was low...  
  
Draco sat there in the common room, too shocked to take control of his thoughts, so they had fixated themselves on Hermione again... her soft curling hair, framing her face... her chocolate eyes... her beautiful lips... her delicious lips... he sighed very un-Malfoy-like as the kiss replayed in his mind, as he felt her mouth on his again, as he unconsciously licked his lips with his tongue, shivering slightly...  
  
A small sound jolted him back to reality, and he jumped up and started pacing the room. "Get it together, Draco," he muttered to himself. Sure, you were the victim of a kidnap attempt twenty four hours ago, and you just had a very complex charm done, and Voldemort's back and your family, life, and future are in imminent danger, but really, that's no reason to do stupid things...  
  
...like kissing Mudbloods...  
  
Even though...  
  
she had kissed him back.... As they slept that night, their dreams were filled with thoughts of each other. However, the memories of their dreams were gone with the morning sun. Hermione woke up first, as before, and took her shower before Draco woke up. As yesterday, he came from his room dressed only in boxer shorts, with a shirt tossed over his shoulder. But this time, Hermione had to struggle to keep from looking at his bare chest. She felt a slight blush creeping into her cheeks, so she turned and continued to her room without saying a word.  
  
Draco grinned to himself. It had worked. She was definitely attracted to him, and he would have as much fun with that fact as possible. He took his shower and then went to the separate dining area to eat breakfast. Of course, as it was a secret room, they didn't need house elves to deliver their food. It was designed along with the rooms to appear at will.  
  
Hermione was already in the dining area, eating a crepe (french pancake- like things. Very yummy), when Draco walked in. He was still wearing his boxer shorts, but now he was wearing the shirt he had had on his shoulder. Unfortunately for Hermione, his shirt was wet, and he was looking particularly hot with his wet tee-shirt and wet, ruffled hair.  
  
He sat down opposite her and several plates of food appeared before him, most of which were not breakfast foods. Draco grinned. "I love this place."  
  
Hermione didn't feel like talking to him, though. So he started eating, then asked, "So, what's on the agenda today?"  
  
"Um.. I think we can drink the potions soon. They've been sitting for about 15 hours by now, so anytime now would work." A glass of orange juice appeared in front of Hermione, and she took a sip before she started on a cinnamon roll that had just appeared.  
  
"Good. Then what?"  
  
"I have no idea."  
  
"Ah, something the know-it-all mudbl-Granger," Draco corrected, seeing her flinch, "doesn't know."  
  
"I don't know everything, nor do I claim to. I study and work hard, and remember things."  
  
"And you don't eat right." Draco saw the blood drain from her face. "What's going on? What's with all those fainting spells, and you not eating? I don't think you even ate lunch yesterday. Or dinner. And for breakfast all you had was a thin pancake and a bite of a cinnamon roll! What the bloody hell are you doing to yourself?" Draco hadn't meant to yell like that. He actually hadn't even meant to confront her about it. Her eating habits were her own problem. Not when she's constantly fainting around me, he thought. I have a right to know this if she keeps yelling at me for trying to keep her alive when she faints. He decided to glare at her for added effect. "Why would you care if I eat right?" Hermione mumbled, trying to keep her eyes off Draco's tight wet shirt and wet hair.  
  
"Why shouldn't I care?" Draco smirked. "I don't want to have to live alone, Granger. You are preferable to living with, say, a spider."  
  
Hermione stood up quickly, the blood racing to her head; she temporarily blacked out but recovered, gripping her chair tightly.  
  
"Of course," she screamed, "Of course you only care about me because you only care about yourself and you don't want to live alone. I should have known. A Malfoy would never care about anyone else. I should have known! How could i have ever thought you cared- how could i ever have thought you changed..."  
  
She trailed off slowly, her chocolate eyes meeting his steely grey eyes. She all of a sudden felt very tired, too tired to break eye contact...  
  
Then she saw a shadow pass over Malfoy's face- damn, he's sexy- she shook her head slightly and turned and rushed to her room.  
  
Maybe Malfoy's right and you're not getting proper nutrition.  
  
Why else would she ever- think he- was sexy? As soon as she was in the safety of her own, comforting room, she collapsed on the bed. Why is this happenning?, she thought to herself, tears streaming down her paled cheeks. She pulled out a few bottles of Vodka from her dresser drawer, and started to gulp them down.  
  
Draco was right though. She hadn`t been eating properly. How could she when she had so many problems, so many worries, on her mind? Her parents were constantly fighting these days. There were even long periods of complete silence between them, when not even Hermione could get their attention.  
  
She choked out one last sob, before blacking out.  
  
***  
  
Part of Draco`s mind wanted to go and check on Hermione; after all, if she really was having eating disorders, and blacking out regularly, then it would be safer for someone to be there.  
  
But the other part of Draco`s mind was saying, She`s just a mudblood, just a stupid mudblood, over and over again. He groaned. This was ridiculous! He hurriedly got up, and proceeded up the stairs to Hermione`s room.  
  
***  
  
Hermione was revived back to conciousness by a faint knock on the door. "What?" she asked weakly, her voice strained. The door opened. There stood Draco, his shirt still wet. Hermione sighed inwardly at the sight--and it was quite a sight!  
  
Out of plain grogginess and unawareness, and a bit of drowsiness, oh and don`t forget the drunkeness, Hermione couldn`t stop herself. Before she could close her mouth, she blurted out,"My Goddy God God, Merlin, you are sexy!" She laughed-- insanely. "I should be sooo happy that you care that I`m not eating all my meals because my parents are constantly fighting, because of that stupid bastard Voldemort, and now this! I must be soo lucky, aren`t I?!" she continued, still laughing.  
  
Draco was looking at her in shock. Unsure of what to do, he gently guided Hermione over to the bed. "Er, maybe you should sleep some more..," he said, still shocked at what he had heard. Well, wasn`t it what I wanted to hear? Didn`t I want her to admit that she thinks I`m hot?, he asked himself, scowling. He looked down at the now unconcious Hermione. She looked so peaceful. Oh what the hell! Who am I kidding? I`ve fallen for Hermione Granger, know-it-all mudblood and top witch of everything! Except potions, he thought to himself, smirking at the last part. He looked down at Hermione again. She was only half-awake, her eyes gazing blankly at the ceiling.  
  
"Why do I always have to go through this?" she sobbed to herself, yelling crazily at the ceiling. "There is no God, is there? BECAUSE IF THERE WERE, THEN I WOULDN`T HAVE TO BE GOING THROUGH ALL OF THIS!" she exclaimed, crying.  
  
Draco looked at her sympathetically. He gave her a quick hug of reassurance. "You`re not the only one, and yes, I`m sure that there is a God. There are actually many, many gods in the Magical world and the Muggle world," he said, answering her questions calmly. She looked up at him, scowling, but only slightly. He smirked down at her. "Did you think you were the only brain around here?"  
  
Hermione`s reply was to pounce on him and plumell him with a pillow. And so, the days, weeks, and pretty soon monthes, passed by. Hermione and Draco became relatively civil towards each other, and occasionally had their daily bouts, with the usual vocabulary, and in the same order everyday: "Morning, mudblood"-"Morning, Ferret face"-"Shut up"-"You shut up"-"You!"-"No, You!"-"Shut. Up. Malfoy."-"I will if you shut up first, Granger."-"Just forget it"-"I will."  
  
And following that would be the occasional staring-scowling-smirking- winking match between the two--a match to compete for the last one standing. It was always a dead draw.  
  
As the monthes flew by, Christmas holidays drew nearer. Yet, both Hermione and Draco had no reason for celebration; after all, they were trapped in the same rooms day in and day out, they were forced to stay in hiding until Voldemort was vanquished, and hell only knew when that would be! Also, in Hermione`s case, having Snape teaching all of their classes, and making snide comments about her whenever given a chance, was certainly not a reason to celebrate the Christmas spirit!  
  
Of course, Hermione could now tolerate Draco, and vice versa. She was quite satisfied with these arrangements, although she and Draco still fought occasionally. She smiled to herself, daydreaming about Honeyduke`s. Hermione sighed sadly as she sat alone on her bed. Malfoy was in their common room doing homework; Hermione was already finished. She sighed again as she thought of the upcoming holiday. Christmas had always been her favorite holiday- lots of food, family, friends, fun. But now it would be so different. She wouldn't be able to see Harry, Ron, or her family; there wouldn't be decorations, or a feast... not that she ate too much anymore...  
  
Malfoy had forced her to eat a little more, and she tried; but she was just so tired, so lethargic, so bored. She knew she was too thin, but she didn't much care, and she had no idea why Malfoy did. He had tried to get her to stop drinking too- but he didn't know about the hidden bottles of vodka in her dresser. She would just have to be more careful, not get awfully drunk like she had a few months ago.  
  
Hermione cringed as she remembered that day. God, i can't believe I told him he was sexy, she thought to herself. I was so drunk. "He is sexy though, really," Hermione muttered to herself, smiling a little. It was true. Of all the people she could have been locked up with- yeah, he was still one of the worst- but at least he was something nice to look at...  
  
She shivered as she remembered the feeling of his lips on hers; harsh, demanding. She had been so shocked, so surprised, it took her a moment to realize he was kissing her- and another moment to realize she was kissing him back- before she regained the presence of mind to push him away. God, I wish he would try that again, she thought dreamily, tracing her lips with her finger. Then she sat upright, mentally cursing herself.  
  
"I will NOT fall for Malfoy," she said aloud. "I do NOT like him; he is NOT hot; well, he is hot, but it doesn't matter, because i DO NOT like him, i am NOT having daydreams about him and his bedroom, I am NOT starting to like him..."  
  
She caught a glimpse of herself in the mirror and giggled quietly.  
  
"I'm NOT telling the truth either..." Hermione took a small gulp of vodka--she had hated the stuff when her cousin had given her a bit to try, but then she noticed all her problems just.. floating away.. So she had decided to conjure some bottles, and now she was never without a bottle or two.  
  
She left her room feeling a bit more cheerful, but not enough for Malfoy to suspect anything. She passed Malfoy in the common room, where he was doing his potions essay, and continued to the dining room for dinner. As usual, her orange juice appeared, with the small bit of vodka mixed in. It had never been enough to get drunk, just enough that she could feel a bit happier. She could always use a bit more happiness.  
  
Along with her tainted orange juice, a small filet mignon appeared, as she was feeling particularly hungry today. Alcohol did that to you, after all. Then she noticed something else: there was a bowl of fruits, a few bread rolls wrapped in cloth, and a plate of vegetables also. "Malfoy!"  
  
Draco came in to the room with a bored look on his face. "What do you want, Granger? Oh, wait, I already know what you want... But I'm not really into that type of thing." He winked and leaned against the wall.  
  
Hermione glared at him. "You changed the spell to make it give me not only what I want, but what I- Nevermind.." she grumbled, as she realized that it was true: she did need this. She sighed and started to eat.  
  
Draco smirked. The spell had worked, and very well, he added to himself. He sat down at the table and smiled when a large sirloin appeared with a glass of... soy milk. He groaned. He hadn't realized that his side would be affected by the change. "Hey, Granger, you don't mind if I have a sip of your juice, do you?" He didn't wait for a response, or even for himself to finish talking. He grabbed the juice and drank some. He paused. "Her- Granger?" Hermione was looking fearfully at him. "You spiked your orange juice, didn't you?! What is your problem?? Seriously! Why are you so intent on getting drunk at every possible chance? How long has this been going on?" When she didn't answer, he got up, and went quickly to her room to search for any bottles of vodka she may have hidden. He ignored the loud rumbling of his stomach and searched through her closet, desk, under her bed, and finally, through her drawers. He didn't find anything.  
  
"Hey, Granger, I never knew you liked to wear these.. What are they, butt- floss?" he said, more for his benefit than hers, as she probably couldn't hear him anyway. He picked one up and looked at it. Then he caught a glimpse of something else in there. He moved a few other items of underclothing away and took out three bottles of vodka. He quickly spelled her room to automatically turned anything with alcohol in it into water, then put the bottles back. Hermione was chewing on her food slowly when Draco reappeared.  
  
"Granger, how long has this been going on?" Draco asked, starting to cut his meat.  
  
"Nothing's going on," Hermione replied coldly. "Nothing's going on, except you just totally overreacted to a bit of vodka in my drink. It's not like i was getting drunk or anything-"  
  
"Granger, there were three half empty bottles of vodka in your room."  
  
Draco looked at her intensely, but Hermione seemed not to notice.  
  
"You went through my drawers," Hermione finally said emotionlessly. "You went through my clothes. You went through my personal belongings. You completely invaded my privacy. You probably read my diary-"  
  
"I only did it because i CARE!" Draco yelled back, standing up and pushing his food away. He glared at her recklessly, not bothering to pick up his chair from the floor where he had knocked it over. "If i didn't give a shit i'd let you kill yourself! But i don't want you to die! You've got to understand me... you've got to listen..." he trailed off softly.  
  
"Listen to what?" Hermione scoffed, standing up also. "Listen to you stand there and lie to my face, saying you care about me... I'm NOTHING to you but a goddamn- Mudblood," she choked out. "You don't care, you have no reason to care, I have no reason to think you care!" she screamed.  
  
"Oh yeah?" Draco shouted back. "How would you know if i cared or not?"  
  
"Maybe if you cared you would- care," Hermione screamed, only half aware of the absurdity in her statement. "If you CARED- you wouldn't greet me with Hey Mudblood every fucking morning- you wouldn't-"  
  
"You call me Ferret Boy every morning," Draco replied calmly.  
  
"Yeah well, i never said i cared!" Hermione shot back.  
  
"Do you?"  
  
"But anyways, I'm KIDDING with the ferret boy shit!"  
  
"How do you know i'm not kidding with the Mudblood?" Draco said in a low tone, walking around the table until he was right in front of Hermione.  
  
Hermione gulped as his steely grey eyes met hers; she looked away, scared her eyes would betray everything she couldn't say.  
  
"You don't kid about something like that," she said softly, overly conscious of Draco's eyes on her.  
  
"I- I'm sorry," Draco muttered quietly. Hermione looked up at him, shocked. Draco- Malfoy, she corrected herself- never apologized. She reached up and placed the back of her hand on his forehead.  
  
"What are you doing?" Draco asked, genuinely confused.  
  
"Checking your temperature. I think you're ill." She took her hand down.  
  
Draco rolled his eyes. "What, I'm not allowed to apologize ever?"  
  
"No, it's just... you never have before.. I thought you had no compassion," she answered.  
  
Draco glared at her and took her hand firmly, placing it over his heart. "Feel that? It's my heart. Yes, I do have one," he said simply, with a hint of anger in his voice. Hermione looked into Draco's smoldering grey eyes a moment, holding his gaze, then she burst out laughing.  
  
"What?" Draco said, his eyes narrowing, as he dropped her hand unceremoniously.  
  
"Sorry," Hermione gasped out. "I- couldn't- help it-"  
  
Draco looked at her strangely as she burst into a new fit of uncontrollable giggles.  
  
"Granger?" he asked uncertainly. "Are you okay? Are you- on anything?"  
  
"No," Hermione said, laughing too hard to be mad, "I'm not on drugs, you just-" she collapsed to the floor, laughing too hard to continue.  
  
"What the bloody hell is so amusing to you?" Draco asked icily, looking at her strangely.  
  
"You- you- you said you have a heart!" Hermione shouted, literally rolling around on the floor.  
  
"Yes, i have a heart," Draco said carefully. "Don't you know, that most people do-"  
  
"You reminded me of the Grinch," Hermione said, gasping for air, finally calming down as she sat at the floor near Draco's feet.  
  
"The what?"  
  
"The Grinch," Hermione replied. "A muggle movie. He has a heart... he Xrays it to make sure it doesn't get too big..."  
  
Draco stared at her blankly.  
  
"Never mind," Hermione sighed, suddenly aware of her position. She stood up awkwardly.  
  
"Hey, does the movie have happy ending?" Draco asked suddenly.  
  
"Yeah..."  
  
"I like happy endings," Draco replied, smiling at Hermione.  
  
"Life doesn't have happy endings," Hermione sighed, walking past Draco towards her room.  
  
Draco stopped her and turned her chin towards him.  
  
"It can," he breathed quietly. Hermione stared into his eyes, taken off-guard by his statement. She opened her mouth to say something, but was cut off by Draco pressing his lips against hers. Hermione stood there, shocked, then suddenly realized Draco was kissing her... and she was, somehow, kissing him back... she was faintly aware of herself wrapping her arms around his neck as he encircled her waist, as he kissed her harder, his mouth harsh, demanding, she felt herself surrendering completely, her mind blissfully clear except for one thought...  
  
If anything could feel like this...  
  
...life really was worth living... Hermione pulled away, looking dazed. "Um.. I have to... have to go do.. homework, yes. That.. Um.. bye..." She turned and walked to her room, closed her door, and fell on her bed. She sighed blissfully, and fell asleep, dreaming of spending time with Draco outside of their rooms. Meanwhile, Harry and Ron were sitting in their common room, trying to study, but failing miserably. They couldn't study without thinking of Hermione. They missed her terribly.  
  
"What do you think she's doing right now?" Harry asked.  
  
"Dunno.. Maybe she's doing muggle homework and thinking of us, too..." came Ron's hopeful reply.  
  
Harry sighed. "How do you think she's handling Malfoy? She's had to study with him in a Muggle town for three months now.."  
  
"She can handle him fine. She has before. Don't worry.." Ron replied, not sounding very sure of himself.  
  
"God, I miss her..."  
  
"Same here, mate.. same here..." sighed Ron. Draco sat in his room, his head in his hands. What was he doing? Why had he kissed her? And enjoyed it? Was his drink spiked or something? "Hermione's was," he muttered aloud.  
  
Why does everything always come back to Hermione?  
  
And why the hell was he thinking of her as Hermione now?  
  
"Get a grip, Draco," he told himself, walking to the mirror. "Stop acting weak. Get over her. It could never be."  
  
God, i want her so bad, he thought wistfully, sitting down on the floor.  
  
"Get over it," he repeated aloud. "It could never happen. You've got to get over it. You'll only end up hurt. It could never work."  
  
He stood up decisively and stared at himself in the mirror, at his steely grey eyes, cold and impersonal as glass. Then he strode out into the common room.  
  
If he was going to get over Hermione, he might as well start now.  
  
*  
  
Hermione sat on her bed smiling. She wasn't going to deny her feelings any longer. If Draco was ready for her, she was most certainly ready for him. Maybe they could have a happy ending after all.  
  
Excited and lighthearted, she jumped off her bed and went to their common room. Their happy ending might as well start now! Oh, but alas, the next morning, Draco again greeted her with the usual, "Morning, Mudblood." Hermione was momentarily shocked, but then scolded herself for even thinking that Malfoy would care for anyone other than himself.  
  
Hermione sighed inwardly, then, her once lust and passion-filled eyes turned emotionless, and she made sure Draco noticed the change. "Morning, Ferret Boy." Not bothering to say anymore, she quickly sat down at ate her breakfast--a small muffin, and a glass of spiked apple cider. When she gulped it down, Draco glanced at her, wondering if she had spiked it again. Wait, why do I care? It`s just Granger the Mudblood!, he reminded himself. Then he noticed Hermione`s breakfast, if you could even call it one, that is. She had taken a single bite out of the muffin, and stood up to leave.  
  
Draco swiftly walked over to her, and grabbed her wrist roughly. Hermione tugged at his hold, scowling at him. "Oh no, you don`t, Granger. You`re not going anywhere until you tell me WHY THE HELL you of all people, are doing all of this. If you`re trying to kill yourself, at least do it the correct way," he whispered in her ear, earning a shiver from her frail body.  
  
"Why would you care? And why bother again? Trying to make up, and then drop me like I`m trash again? Really, Malfoy. Give it up."  
  
"I`m not trying to hurt you. And all I`m asking is for you to tell me what`s going on. No lies. I`ll use Veritaserum if I have to, Hermione."  
  
Maybe it was because of his threat, or maybe it was because he had said her name, but Hermione did what he asked. She told him everything.  
  
"Alright, Malfoy. If you really want to know. My life isn`t perfect. The cold, bitter truth is that it sucks. It absolutely reeks. It`s full of shit, it`s just full of it. My parents are constantly fighting. They wouldn`t notice if I just suddenly died! They would probably be having too much fun arguing over whose fault it was, or who drank all the orange juice, or whatever. Also, this. This whole, stupid, crap-filled Voldemort business. I mean, not that I`d want it to happen or anything, but if he must go after someone, why go after me? Why not Harry? Or someone worthy? I mean why he would go after you besides the fact that you would probably make a very good Death Eater is beyond me. Oh, and not to mention the fact that Harry and Ron, and all of my other frigging friends are just constantly feeling sorry for me! Whenever they see me, they just stop talking and stare, like doing that`s going to make all my troubles disappear! All it does is drag me deeper and deeper into reality. And the reality is, my life really, really, really sucks! That brings me to the reason why I drink. It helps me. It helps me a lot. It makes me feel happy, it drains the problems away, even it`s only temporarily. Oh, and that brings me to my appetite these days. Why don`t you try eating when you`re constantly being reminded that life sucks!" she exclaimed, taking a deep breath.  
  
Draco only looked at her. He looked at her flushed face, looked deep into her dark, chocolate-brown eyes. They were almost emotionless, although hidden beneath the cloud of blankness was a whirlpool of emotions: Anguish, agony,pain,depression, loneliness, and rejection. He could do nothing but stare. But then, he pulled her into a reassuring embrace and looked down at her. "You know, life doesn`t always suck..." With that, he pressed his lips against hers, his tongue putting slight pressure on her lower lip, asking to gain entry. She gladly agreed, and opened her mouth. Immediately, urgently, his tongue explored every tiny little space in her mouth, their lips still pressed together. When they pulled away for breath, Draco smirked at her shining face. "I told you s--" Before he could finish his sentence, Hermione pressed her mouth onto his, and began to kiss him back.  
  
--------------- The next time they pulled apart, Hermione mock-glared up at him. "Why does this always happen? You kiss me, and then we get mad at each other again. It'll happen again this time, I know it."  
  
Draco grinned and moved in for another kiss, but before his lips reached hers, he breathed, "It's a love-hate relationship, Hermione.. Better get used to it," and moved forward just enough so they were kissing again. Hermione closed her eyes, savoring the kiss, opening her eyes only when Draco pulled away.  
  
"You going to be mad at me now?" Hermione said playfully.  
  
"I might," Draco smirked. "If it'll make you kiss me again..."  
  
"I knew that's all you wanted," Hermione replied, leaning in to kiss him again.  
  
Draco broke away eventually.  
  
"So what's happening with us now?" he asked.  
  
"What do you mean?" Hermione replied, too distracted to think, or care.  
  
"Well, we're not arguing yet," Draco whispered, leaning in closely, staring deep into Hermione's eyes. "Where's the hate part of this love-hate relationship?"  
  
"You seem to be confident we've got the love part down," Hermione shot back.  
  
"You know you want me," Draco said, looking smug.  
  
"Are you really- ready for this?" Hermione asked, fear in her eyes.  
  
"Am i ready for you?" Draco asked. "God, yes."  
  
"I guess my life just got a little better," Hermione murmured, reaching up and lightly tracing Draco's lips with her finger.  
  
"Only a little?" Draco whispered. Hermione smiled.  
  
"Fine then," she replied, "... A lot better."  
  
"Maybe," Draco breathed, "Maybe... i could teach you to believe in happy endings..."  
  
"Maybe," Hermione sighed, "If anyone can, you can..."  
  
She looked up and met his eyes, feeling herself starting to smile slowly, her heart lifting as it hadn't for days, and then she reached out and embraced him gently, a hug of happiness, and hope for the future.  
  
_______________________________ 


End file.
